The Italian Voice

We are living in years of big pollution and huge changements in the climate everywhere in the world.
Everybody seem to be concerned, but nobody kwow what to do exactly.

My opinion is that we have to start from our own little world, we need to do something just in our own routine.
An Abkhazian popular proverb, which is widespread worldwide in similar forms, tells that “even a sea consists of small drops“.
I totally agree, do not you?

So today I want to present you a great event which will occun on Saturday June 28th, 2008 in the Abruzzo region: the first edition of the Notte Verde!

Map of Abruzzo

That special evening will offer more than 300 events in 20 locations along the 170 kilometers of the abruzzese seacost which will be totally dedicated to the ecology and the entertainment.

The shops will be open until late night, the restaurants will present themed menus and appetizers with traditional local and biological specialties, paying attention to the use of materials of sustainable consumption.
The organization will plan activities to teach the citizens to live in a more eco-friendly way, in whole respect of our Earth, also thanks to the involvement of artists and big names of the Italian performing arts.

All the info are available at the website at the url http://www.lanotteverde.it but, as the website unfortunately is in Italian, I decided to translate just for you the calendar of the events of this fantastic green night in the different locations of the region, enjoy!

Saturday June 28th, 2008

MARTINSICURO – EUROPA SEAFRONT:
09-10 pm: “Blue Sound” Music Band;
10-10:45 pm: Fashion show;
11-11:45 pm: Cabaret show with Tony Russi;
11:45 pm-00:15 am: Dance lessons;
00:15-01 am: “Blue Sound” Music Band;
01-02:30 am: Latin animation group with Baby Caribe Dance Dj;

On the seafront: Spinning lessons with Dj;
Special Guest: Tessa Gelisio, tv presenter of “Pianeta Mare” show on ReteQuattro and President of the “For Planet” Association for the Environmental Conservation;
During the Notte Verde: Free distribution of high quality milk by the AgriService farmings, to bring on the table of citizens and tourists this raw freshly drawn food; in addition, samples of traditional local specialties offered by AgriService for Drainage and Environmental Activity.

TORTORETO LIDO – VIA CARDUCCI ROTUNDA:
Special Guest: Tessa Gelisio, tv presenter of “Pianeta Mare” on ReteQuattro and President of the “For Planet” Association for the Environmental Conservation.

ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI – CELOMMI SEAFRONT, FOUNTAINS AREA:
9:30 pm: “The Blues Brothers” Cover Band;
Playing area for children with animation and clowns;
Special Guests: Marta Rossi with Francesco Capodacqua from the “Amici” show by Maria De Filippi and Nadia Castaldi from the Italian “Big Brother 8″;
During the Notte Verde: Free distribution of high quality milk by the AgriService farmings, to bring on the table of citizens and tourists this raw freshly drawn food; in addition, samples of traditional local specialties offered by AgriService for Drainage and Environmental Activity.

PINETO:
Special Guests: Marta Rossi with Francesco Capodacqua from the “Amici” show by Maria De Filippi and Nadia Castaldi from the Italian “Big Brother 8″.

SILVI MARINA – PIAZZALE DEI PINI SEAFRONT:
9:30 pm: Speech about the environment by Doctor Marrone;
9:45 pm: Live music with “Over the Hill” Band;
11 pm: Cabaret show with “La Gastrite” Duet;
11:30 pm: Fashion show by “SR” Atelier by Simone Racioppo;
Special Guests: Marta Rossi with Francesco Capodacqua from the “Amici” show by Maria De Filippi and Nadia Castaldi from the Italian “Big Brother 8″.

MONTESILVANO - TEATRO DEL MARE:
Finale of the “New Model of the Year - Eco Miss La Notte Verde 2008″ National Contest;
Special Guests: Raffaella Fico from the Italian “Big Brother 8″ and Antonino Lombardo with Marina Marchione from the “Amici” show 2008 by Maria De Filippi;
Finale of the evening with many other special guests;
During the Notte Verde: Free distribution of high quality milk by the AgriService farmings, to bring on the table of citizens and tourists this raw freshly drawn food; in addition, samples of traditional local specialties offered by AgriService for Drainage and Environmental Activity.

FRANCAVILLA AL MARE – PIAZZA SIRENA:
Selection for the “Miss Grand Prix” National Contest;
Disco with Elio Dj, 70s/80s/90s Dance music;
Magic show;
Special Guests: Raffaella Fico from the Italian “Big Brother 8″ and Antonino Lombardo with Marina Marchione from the “Amici” show 2008 by Maria De Filippi.

ORTONA – PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA:
9:30 pm: Live music with “Bertone/1” Band;
10:30 pm: Fabrizio Buccella Conjurer
11:30 pm: Live music with “Liberi di volare” Band (”Nomadi” Cover Band);
00:30 am: Live music with “The Flatheads” Band (”The Fratellis” Cover Band);
Special Guests: Raffaella Fico from the Italian “Big Brother 8″ and Antonino Lombardo with Marina Marchione from the “Amici” show 2008 by Maria De Filippi.

MARINA DI SAN VITO – DI GUALDO SEAFRONT:
Special Guests: Andrea Spadoni and Francesca De Meo from the Italian “Big Brother 7″.

FOSSACESIA – BAYA VERDE SOUTHERN SEAFRONT:
Festival of Strabocchi di Musica (www.strabocchidimusica.com);
Concert by Caparezza;
Live music with “Anema Me” Band in Abruzzese dialect;
Live music with “Après La Classe” Band (Raggae, Pop, Dance, Ska);
Until the sunrise: Orobi Dj Set.

TORINO DI SANGRO:
Special Guests: Andrea Spadoni and Francesca De Meo from the Italian “Big Brother 7″.

CASALBORDINO – SEAFRONT:
Dancing evening;
Special Guests: Andrea Spadoni and Francesca De Meo from the Italian “Big Brother 7″.

VASTO MARINA – SEAFRONT:
Special Guests: Andrea Spadoni and Francesca De Meo from the Italian “Big Brother 7″.

The Notte Verde is organized in Abruzzo because is the “Green Region of Europe“, the events are conceived and produced by Claudio Marastoni Comunication and are under the patronage of: Regione Abruzzo, Province of Pescara, Province of Teramo, Province of Chieti, Municipalities of Martinsicuro, Alba Adriatica, Tortoreto, Giulianova, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Pineto, Silvi, Montesilvano, Pescara, Francavilla al Mare, Ortona, San Vito Chetino, Fossacesia, Torino di Sangro, Casalbordino, Vasto, San Salvo, Confindustria Abruzzo, Confindustria Pescara, Confindustria Teramo, Confindustria Chieti, Confcommercio Abruzzo, Federalberghi Abruzzo and Faita.

If you are in Abruzzo or close to that region in that day, I heartily suggest to attend the Notte Verde and, if you want to arrange a trip to Italy, this will be the perfect occasion to come.
I will probably attend it too, for my personal interest and for writing an article for the Italian webmagazine with which I cooperate, so let me know your plans and we will be even able to meet there, how exciting, I am waiting for your emails!!

In the meanwhile, have a nice weekend and see you soon, ciao my friends!

Today I want to start to write about my own life, just because I think that the facts which happen to me could make you understand something more about Italians, but also because I am glad to share everything with my readers, I would like to know you all, so this is the best way to let you know me better.

I am currently waiting to move to another region because of my boyfriend’s job; at the beginning I refused the idea, but now I am starting to be very curious to start my new life, to discover the new city and to get new friends.

I do not visit the new place so often, because I have to travel by train and I realized that it is not so cheap each time; I spend about Euro 23 for a round-trip ticket from Castel San Pietro Terme (province of Bologna) to Novi Ligure (province of Alessandria), so I avoid to see my boyfriend once a week, looking forward to cohabit again.

Novi Ligure is in the bottom-right corner of the highlighted region
(map taken from Wikipedia)

Novi Ligure is a city of the region of low Piedmont (North-Western Italy), it is situated in a favourable area just between the three big city of Turin, Milan and Genoa. Its name reminds of the region Liguria and it is not a fortuity, because in the past it belonged politically to that territory for a long time and only in 1859 was annexed to the province of Alessandria and so also to Piedmont.

I have been to Novi Ligure in the last week of May for a couple of days and I took the chance to take some shots of the city downtown and of the surroundings of our new flat; I must admit I am starting to appreciate it, even if it is not my own hometown and if it is quite different from my own area, but I think that my region of Emilia-Romagna should learn some lessons from Piedmont, especially about the eco-friendly solutions.

Here there are my latest shots, enjoy!

Via Girardengo, main street downtown

Church of the Collegiata of Santa Maria Maggiore

Porch of entrance of the city hall

Via Roma and Church of St Peter from afar

Church of St Anthony from Padua, managed by friars

I plan on taking more photos during my next trip, so stay tuned and you will start to discover Novi Ligure together with me.
Thanks for visiting my blog, have a nice Sunday and see you soon!

Bologna is my capital of province, I am always happy to write about it.

Today I am glad to suggest you a nice event all’italiana, which means “in the Italian way”, which will take place just here.

For the ones who are in Bologna during this weekend or who are planning a getaway here, it will be funny to attend a particular bolognese evening called “CENA Stuzzicando all’italiana”.

On Saturday May 24^th, 2008 at 8:30 pm the Mokita Cafè will offer an odd dinner based on salty and sweet appetizers with rigorously homemade and well-groomed foods, for an amount of Euro 22 per person (all inclusive, only with reservation).

The menu will be composed of:

- Antipasto and Aperitif
- Mixed Croutons and Fantasy of Appetizers
- Salty and Sweet Fritto Misto all’italiana
- Poker of Desserts
- Water, Wine and Coffee

info and reservation, please call Daniela at +39 31974600 or +39 051 6332471, website (in Italian): http://www.mokitacafe.it/mokita-eventi-bologna.asp - email: info@mokitacafe.it.

I heartily suggest this nice event if you are around Bologna, it is a wonderful occasion to spend your Saturday evening and to discover the ancient dishes of the bolognese area.

You can easily reach the Mokita Cafè, which is not too far from the Fair District in Via Caduti di Via Fani n°15, between Viale della Repubblica and Viale Aldo Moro (from the airport, take the airport shuttle called “Aerobus BLQ ” - from the railway station, take the buses n°10 or 35 or 38 with the tickets bought before going aboard - from Bologna downtown, take the buses n°10 or 28 or 38 with the tickets bought before going aboard - from the highways coming from Milan, Florence and Ancona, exit at the new tollgate called “Bologna Fiera” – from the highway coming from Padua, exit at the ring road n°8 for Ingressi Nord, Michelino, Moro and Parcheggio Michelino or at the ring road n°7 for Ingresso and Parcheggio Costituzione).
They have a comfortable parking just in front of the restaurant bar.

The Mokita Cafè is always open Monday to Thursday 07:00 am to 01:30 am, on Friday from 07:00 am to 03:00 am, on Saturday from 05:00 pm to 03:00 am, during the periods of the fairs it is open on Saturday and Sunday 07:00 am to 03:00 am.

It’s hard to leave Bologna and its area, I am starting to take shots of every corner to create a scrapbook to take with me in my future city, just to remember the beautiful places of my homeland.

Today I will do something which I did not do for long time.
I will take a bus from my town to reach my mother in front of her working place and we will spend a couple of hours together, taking the chance to do shopping and to look for furnitures for my new flat.

I think that my passion for Bologna started when I was a child.

shot by sem07

On Saturdays I had to attend school, but I remember that sometimes my mother kept me home to go for walks somewhere and to spend special mornings together.
That “somewhere” was often the weekly market in Bologna.

My mother used to attend the high school in that city when she was young, so I guess that Bologna had the same effect on both of us, it is cosmopolitan, each corners has something to discover, but at the same time it is well livable and handy.

In those Saturday mornings with my mother, we used to go downtown to see the pigeons in the main square, like every other kid I wanted to feed them, to play running towards them and to have fun; then we always walked along the tiny streets weekly market made my stands which were placed one opposite to the others and vice versa, looking at the sold seasonal clothing and stuffs, tasting sometimes a piadina romagnola or a pizza from the wonderful take-away called “Altero“.

shot by Semi93

I loved so much those special moments in Bologna that, when I was teenager and used to come home from the high school in Lugo (province of Ravenna), sometimes I wanted to continue the route by bus until Bologna, to spend the afternoon looking at the beautiful shop windows, enjoying some relaxing moments into the Park of the Montagnola, buying new books and stationery stuffs and so on.

Well, I really look forward to live again my memories of teenage today, some hours and my mind will be carried back in time, how exciting!

Do you have memories which are linked to special places of your teenage too?

There is a nice highway stop in my area, just between Bologna and Imola. In Italy the major part of them is called autogrill.
Every time I pass through that road I see it.
I start to peer at it from the bridge onto the highway, I observe the cars darting and the people over there like little ants, I wonder what will be the destination of who stops off there and have long have they had on the road.

The autogrill for me is a place which always represented a sort of freedom, for me this is the reason for travelling, stop off there is like stopping after a long hard day of work and tasting the air onto the skin, listening to the clatter of the people who are crowded at the bar, imagining the taste of the typical foods and touching the softness of the plushes set onto the shelves of the mini market, glancing at the headlines of the newspapers and of the magazines which are displayed before the exit door.

shot by A. Guandalini

In this area, only a few people know the access to the highway stop, even if it situated outside the highway, maybe only who works there and who arrived by chance and friends who spread the word.
To me it happened the last case.

For me that autogrill is so much tempting that often, passing onto that bridge, I even try to make me come to mind some good reasons to enter by car the tiny and not paved street which takes to the highway stop, sometimes I desist to avoid to spend money or to get left behind in my daily tasks, but other times I can not resist.

What I feel entering the gate behind the autogrill from the parking and entering the door of that public place is almost indescribable, it sounds odd to feel such a strong emotion, but I really arrive there with such a big sense of excitement that the adrenaline stays in my body for several minutes also after my visit there.

I am not embarrassed to say that, in these cases, I feel like a kid who is able to obtain what she wants: that sense of freedom which sometimes I need to taste to feel alive.

Have you ever tried to enter a highway stop when you were not on vacation?